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Where do you stash your gear and bike??

My garage is a standard two-car garage as far as width. I'm not at home right now, but would estimate it at 20 feet wide, but 32 feet deep. My wife's company car is a Sentra, and I swear we could put two of them end-to-end in there. So...I have plenty of room towards the back to put the bike, but like many of you, I also have a wealth of tools, and other stuff to contend with.

I'm hoping to come up with something clever to store the bike in as small a place as possible, and also a place to hang/store my gear. I've got to store four jackets, three pants, a full suit, probably four helmets, boots, gloves, liners, etc...I wouldn't make kitchen cabinets, but I'm otherwise okay at woodworking so I can build most basic shelves or racks. I don't mind buying either, so long as whatever it is suits my needs.

I was hoping to get some ideas from others who have had the same issue. I'm thinking of a wall mounted rod for hanging things and few shelves for the other stuff. Of course I need room for the bike too...

My place is not the Garage Mahal, so there won't be any black/white checkerboard floors or anything like that. I'm just looking for a good compact solution for storage that keeps things handy and organized. If you've figured out a good way to store panniers, so much the better.

For gear storage, I use an ikea wardrobe cabinet, which has hanging space and also a column of 4 or 5 "cubbies" on the right. It is deep enough that I can put two helmets in one cubby space. It also has a flat top, which is good for storing boxes (for example, I keep my other windscreen up there, a spare tire, etc.) I did have to replace the hanging rod with one more substantial, due to the weight of the gear.

Suggestions for the bike: Sounds like the garage is deep enough to store it in the back, just think about whether you want it convenient to an outlet for a trickle charger. My garage was wide enough that I put the bike in the front, between the two cars.

Even with a 3 car garage, I have taken a similar approach as Maria. Went to Home Depot and got a cabinet, assembled it. One half has a rod for hanging gear, the other side 4 cubes - one for me, one for the spouse, and 2 for the bike (tank bag, etc) top shelf for gloves and misc. Top of cabinet for other storage. Very happy with this solution.

Bike Garage

Our closet by the back door was overflowing - as was the 2 car garage attached to the house. There was only room for my bikes and my wifes car. I built a separate 2 car garage for the bikes. Separate so I can play with carbaretors and start bikes indoors in the winter without filling the house with fumes. A friend has a walkout basement that he stores his bikes in. It is handy and has cheap heat. At a party there; we started up a bike or 2 and filled the house with fumes. My wife was there - so detached bike garage.

My wife disagrees but the garage is for the five bikes and gear and the cars sit outside like they were designed to do. That way the door is not open and closed all winter to expose them to the elements. Stand your ground LOL

Bike: In a private park-and-lock garage about 8 blocks west of my apartment.

Gear: We have a spare room. Jackets/suits hang in the closet. Helmets/Gear in a wardrobe/chest of drawers style thing.

Ahhh...to live in NY, NY...

Originally Posted by Weasel

My garage is used exclusively for the bikes. Cars sit outside. Gear hangs along the wall.

For the time being, I've only got the one bike, but...

Originally Posted by Brettendress

My wife disagrees but the garage is for the five bikes and gear and the cars sit outside like they were designed to do. That way the door is not open and closed all winter to expose them to the elements. Stand your ground LOL

Brett Endress
Altoona PA

...I have no problem with cars outside. My wife might have a problem if (or when) a /5 or /6 shows up here to complement my RT and hers gets the boot once and for all!!! Nothing like planning ahead, huh??? I'm hoping she can see a few airheads at the MOA open house this weekend and fall in love with them as I have.

The bikes (2 BMW's and a Vespa) have a place in my 2.5 detached.
As for the gear? Well . . . .
Tents and ground cloth and H2W bags in basement, along with side and top cases.
Other sundry bike related items like jackets and pants, helmets are all over the place.

I have kitchen cabinets along the one side wall, with a single bowl stainless sink and full size frig. (gotta have refreshments when working on a bike) then 16" deep shelves in the corner and along 5'-6' of the back wall, floor to ceiling, until they hit the work bench. Helmets, gloves, bags, trunk, tent, sleep mat, etc. go on the shelves. I tend to keep the rider gear (jackets, pants) in the house. The bikes (my K12S, my son's GS500E and a scooter) are in one bay of the garage, mini van in the other. The kids Sentra and my 4X4 stay outside. There are times when I am helping on some project bike or other and the mini van gets the boot, but for some reason my wife thinks she should get at least one space in the garage....................go figure. I'd like to build a third bay, but according to zoning am not allowed.

I feel very lucky that we have a 40 x 60 pole barn that is our garage. Until I can get everything organized in there (anyone interested in two 70's era Jeep Wagoneers and enough spare parts to keep them running for 100 years?) the 'spare' gear is being store in them extra giant sized clear plastic tupperware type tubs. Have some cedar chips and lavender scented mothballs inside as well.
I am planning on building up some cabinets that will attach to one of the walls. Cedar lined with enough room to hangup the gear, shelf for helmets and boots.

For the throw over type panniers, I am going to make more of the saddle holders that I have from when I had a horse. Very simple and cheap to make: